Toddler Theories
by rugphan
Summary: Just some Rugrats theories I've put into words for all of you to read! Enjoy!
1. Why Is Angelica Such A Brat?

So, recently, I've been having some theories about the Rugrats, and I thought I would share some with you guys! I hope you all enjoy them!

Theory 1: Why Is Angelica Such A Brat?

Ever since I started watching Rugrats, I have always thought Angelica wasn't as bad as she acted. Sure, I thought she wasn't always nice to the babies, and deserved to get in trouble for it. But, I never thought of her as a bad person at heart. As a child, I'd watch Angelica on TV, and wonder why she was so mean to the babies. I'm sure any person who is a fan of Rugrats has probably asked themselves, 'Why is Angelica such a brat?' Well, look no further, because I have a theory that may finally answer that question for all of us!

RUGRATS THEORY 1: The reason Angelica acts like a brat toward the babies (and in general) is because she's seeking attention from her parents, and feels like nobody really cares about her. In other words, she feels really insecure.

Now, I know some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy for even suggesting this (especially since Angelica seems like one of the most confident little girls to ever hit the television screen), but please, allow me to explain. To start off, we have to look at this theory from a psychological standpoint. Sometimes the way you're raised can affect your personality later in life. (Now, I'm saying that it can affect your personality, not that it always does. Bratty children can be raised in both loving and unloving environments. And some children who are raised in bad living situations are very kind.). I'd be willing to bet when Angelica was a baby, she tried to get her parents' attention more often than not. But, the sad reality for Angelica is, her parents are workaholics. Now, I'm not saying Drew and Charlotte Pickles are horrible parents who don't care about their child, because anyone who watches Rugrats can clearly see they want what's best for their daughter. Drew and Charlotte both love Angelica and want to raise her well. However, Angelica rarely gets any one on one time with her mom and dad because they're constantly busy with their jobs. If there's one thing that kids absolutely need, it's love and attention. And if a child feels that they aren't getting the love and attention they deserve, that child can start to act out in negative ways in order to get it.

Personally, I don't think Angelica bullied her cousin, Tommy Pickles, to start out with (Keep in mind, if you consider the episode Moving Away as fact, Tommy didn't know Chuckie Finster or Phil and Lil Deville until shortly before Tommy turned a year old. They met at a barbeque party at Tommy's house after his family had just moved in, and Angelica (sort of) introduced the babies to each other.). When Angelica first found out she was going to have a little cousin, I'm sure she was as excited as most other toddlers are when they find out there's going to be a new member of the family. Angelica was probably glad she was going to have a younger cousin to play with (After all, Angelica must have gotten lonely at times being the only child in the Pickles' family up until that point in time. Plus, we all know Angelica loves the babies deep down. In Moving Away, Angelica tearfully tells the babies they're her best friends when she thinks she and her family are moving.). And I'm positive she was just as thrilled when Tommy finally arrived. Unfortunately, this joy didn't last long. But, why? Why would Angelica go from being a sweet little girl one minute and suddenly become a bratty child the next?

Here is where my theory comes in. As Angelica continued to see more and more of Tommy, she began to see how different her little cousin's home life was compared to hers. Angelica eventually figured out at some point before Rugrats even started that Tommy consistently received more attention from Stu and Didi Pickles than she ever did from her own parents. When Angelica finally realized this, she started to become more and more jealous that Tommy got all of the attention, and started bullying him (and eventually the other babies once they came into Tommy's life) as a result. In short, Angelica feels like she will never be loved in the same way the babies' parents love them, so she constantly takes out her anger and frustration on the babies by bossing them around.

I also feel Angelica believes the babies don't like her. And no, I don't think she thinks this is due to her constant teasing and bullying. My guess is Angelica started to think Tommy was only tolerating her even before she started picking on him.

There is evidence that supports this theory. Now, this evidence isn't 'canon' so to speak, but it heavily implies that Angelica is an insecure child who feels she doesn't deserve to be cared about (despite the fact that she always claims she deserves everything).

First of all, Angelica always complains the babies receive all of the attention, feeling all the adults should focus on her instead of Tommy and his friends. If Angelica felt she was receiving the adequate amount of attention she deserves from her parents, why would she care about this?

Second, do you remember the episode Aunt Miriam back in season 2 of Rugrats? There is a bunch of subtext within that episode that you may or may not have noticed. One of the biggest realizations that came to me while watching this episode was Lou and Miriam are the adult versions of Tommy and Angelica. But, before I delve into this, let me refresh your memories just in case you don't remember the episode. Aunt Miriam, was the episode Miriam was first introduced (in case the title didn't make that obvious). Miriam came over to the Pickles' house to visit, and Lou Pickles wasn't thrilled about it at all because he claimed Miriam always picked on him when they were kids (There was even one story Lou told where Miriam had taken his favorite toy ball and threw it into the next yard. This story was similar to what had happened to Tommy in the episode Barbeque Story, the second episode of Rugrats. Miriam even mentioned Angelica reminded her of herself.). There were various other stories mentioned by both Lou and Miriam where they referenced previous episodes of Rugrats up to that point in the show's timeline.

Toward the end of the episode, Lou and Miriam are searching for Tommy and Chuckie (Tommy and Chuckie had escaped Tommy's crib that evening because the story plot of Aunt Miriam focused on Tommy and Chuckie trying to stop Miriam from hurting Lou. They thought she was an evil ant from outer space or something, but that's not important right now.). As they are trying to find the babies, Lou and Miriam return to arguing about their childhoods, probably for what seems like the millionth time in this episode. During this conversation, the mood becomes bittersweet. Lou tells Miriam he was terrified of her when they were little. Miriam, who is obviously surprised by this, tells Lou she didn't know he had felt that way. But, here's the real kicker. Miriam claimed the reason she bullied Lou and his friends was because all the other kids ever wanted to do was hang out with Lou. She explains she picked on Lou and his friends because she thought the other kids wouldn't want to play with her.

This scene is important when you think about Angelica's behavior. As I mentioned earlier, Miriam is the adult version of Angelica. So, this confession scene between Lou and Miriam heavily implies Angelica feels she's worthless in the babies' eyes. Thus, she decided to become aggressive toward the babies before they could even get the chance to reject her (Now, I know the babies rejecting Angelica for no reason is highly unlikely. But, three-year-olds aren't really known for thinking rationally. So, it's plausible Angelica believes she'll be rejected by Tommy and the other babies if she ever attempts to try being nice to her cousin.).

In conclusion, Angelica's bratty behavior began, and continues throughout Rugrats, due to her feelings of loneliness and insecurity. Her aggression is another way of crying out for help, and that is sad to think about.

So, now I want to know, what do you guys think? Do you agree with this theory? Do you disagree with it? Or do you have something else to add? Please let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear your thoughts! More Rugrats theories will be posted soon!


	2. The End Of Eating Bugs And Worms

This theory is a bit shorter than the last one, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

When Did Phil and Lil Quit Eating Bugs and Worms?

Every fan of Rugrats knows Phil and Lil Deville's love of eating worms, bugs, and various other non-edible delicacies. But, have you ever wondered when exactly the twins grew out of this, admittedly disgusting, habit? In the time period between Rugrats and All Grown Up!, when did Phil and Lil decide it was time to break the habit? I believe the end of Phil and Lil eating all things gross happened much earlier than most Rugrats fans think.

RUGRATS HEADCANONS/THEORIES DAY 2: Phil and Lil quit eating bugs and worms, as well as a variety of other non-edible things between the ages of almost two years to just before three years of age.

Now, some of you might be thinking, 'What?! They love eating gross stuff way too much to quit that early!' And I probably would agree with you if there wasn't one key piece of evidence that I believe throws this statement out the window. If you remember the movie, Rugrats Go Wild, there is one scene in the movie where the babies are searching for Nigel Thornberry in the jungle on a supposedly deserted island (aka, the scene where they sing 'It's a Jungle Out Here'). During this scene, Lil is traumatized by a giant flower (It's more venus flytrap type thing, but whatever. That's not important right now. () snatching a fly out of the air as it's flying around. At one point during this scene, Phil is collecting a bunch of bugs, and asks Lil if she wants one. To Phil's surprise, Lil becomes outraged, and refuses the bug being offered to her. Then Lil says she thinks they shouldn't eat bugs anymore. Phil, of course, is shocked and distraught by Lil's response, and can't believe what his sister is saying.

In case you don't remember, the Rugrats Go Wild movie was released in theaters on June 13th, 2003. However, the Rugrats television series had already concluded on October 5th, 2002, approximately eight months before Rugrats Go Wild came out. So, everyone who worked on the movie must have known the show was going to be wrapping up pretty close to when the movie was in the process of being created and/or just being finished. Now, you're probably wondering what these facts have to do with Phil and Lil's love of eating bugs and worms. I believe introducing the story plot of Lil refusing to eat bugs in Rugrats Go Wild was the creators' way of clarifying that Phil and Lil are starting to grow up just a little bit. And since Rugrats was ending, this was most likely the creators' way of stating this was the beginning of the end of Phil and Lil's gross habit (especially when you consider the fact this whole story plot wasn't resolved at the end of the movie).

However, even though Phil and Lil are twins, it doesn't necessarily mean they both quit at the same time. After all, Phil and Lil are two separate people and don't live life exactly the same. Thus, it would make sense that Phil and Lil weaned off of eating non-edible things at different paces. I think Lil quit cold turkey due to her 'traumatic event' at age one (She and Phil are probably almost two-years-old during the Rugrats Go Wild timeline.). For Phil, on the other hand, it was probably much harder for him to go through 'bug withdrawal'. I feel this process was more gradual for him. The only reason I can see Phil even attempting to stop eating disgusting things is because he wants to support his twin sister (Small children tend to do everything together, so this wouldn't surprise me.) How Phil completely quit this habit, I'm not entirely sure. But, I do think he stopped eating non-edible stuff just before he turned three, when he realized none of his friends are into it anymore (This includes Dil because I can't picture him eating things like bugs and worms.).

So, what do you guys think of this theory? Please let me know in the comments!


	3. What Inspired Tommy to Create Films?

What Inspired Tommy to Start Creating Films (As We See in _All Grown Up!_ )?

If you have ever watched the _Rugrats_ spinoff, _All Grown Up!_ , then you probably know of Tommy Pickles's passion for creating and directing films. But, have you ever wondered what, or should I say _who_ , inspired Tommy to start filmmaking in the first place? I think you'll be surprised by the answer.

RUGRATS THEORIES 3: Angelica Pickles was the person who inspired Tommy's love of filmmaking in _All Grown Up!_ , and continued to be one of his biggest supporters despite the drama between them.

I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, 'Wait a minute! Tommy's love of filmmaking started when he picked up his Dad's video camera and decided to start filming! They said so in _All Grown Up!_ ' And yes, this is absolutely true. In the episode, _Truth or Consequences,_ Didi Pickles mentions Tommy created his first movie, _'Creature in the Backyard: Starring Spike!',_ at the age of thirty-seven months (That's three years and one month for those of you who don't want to do the math.) But, something had to inspire Tommy to pick up that video camera and start filming in the first place. And I think that inspiration began way back during the _Rugrats_ episode, _Babies in Toyland_ , the second _Rugrats_ Christmas special.

For those of you who don't remember or haven't seen the episode _Babies in Toyland_ , Angelica decided to be kind to the babies for once (during the last few minutes of the episode), and gave each of them a Christmas present. And what present did Tommy receive from his older cousin? A toy camera (Yes, it was a picture camera that probably didn't take real photographs, but that's not important right now.)! I feel the creators of _Rugrats_ and _All Grown Up!_ deliberately did this. When you consider _Babies in Toyland_ aired on December 9th, 2002, and the first episode of _All Grown Up!_ aired on April 12th, 2003 (just a little over four months later), this moment of _Babies in Toyland_ becomes very significant. It's almost as if the creators were saying this part of the episode is an important moment in Tommy's life, that this was the moment that sparked Tommy's interest in cameras and how they worked. Then, at three-years-old, Tommy's curiosity was peaked when he remembered his Dad's video camera, and decided to pick it up and start filming. And it was all thanks to Angelica Pickles!

Not only was Angelica the person that first inspired Tommy's interest in cameras (and thus his passion for directing and filmmaking), but Angelica continued to support Tommy and his love of creating films in _All Grown Up!_ , even when it didn't seem like she was at all interested. For example, in the _All Grown Up!_ episode, _Truth Or Consequences,_ Tommy entered a children's filming contest hosted by his favorite director. And who was the one who handed the flyer for the contest to him? Once again, it was Angelica who informed her younger cousin about the competition. I mean, sure, she had her own interests at heart (namely, trying to get one of the most popular girls in school to notice and accept her into her clique by watching Angelica on the big screen). But, the fact Angelica even gave Tommy the announcement for the children's filming contest in the first place says something. It tells the viewing audience that Angelica knows her younger cousin is great at creating movies, and she believes he can win if he enters the contest.

In conclusion, Angelica Pickles was the one who sparked Tommy Pickles's passion for creating movies. And I'd be willing to bet Angelica is proud of her cousin and his accomplishments, even if she won't admit it.

So, what do you guys think of this theory? Please let me know in the comments!


	4. Tommy's Career

Tommy's Career

After _Rugrats_ and _All Grown Up!_ came to end, I'm sure plenty of fans wondered, what career paths do the main characters pursue as adults? These are headcannons I have as to what the _Rugrats_ become when they're adults, and how they got to the career paths they chose. We'll start off with Tommy Pickles!

RUGRATS HEADCANNONS/THEORIES DAY 4: I believe Tommy Pickles became a famous filmmaker like he always dreamed, making internet documentaries. And Tommy became successful by trying to help one of his closest friends, Kimi Finster.

My headcannon takes place about three years after the events from _All Grown Up!_ takes place. Thirteen-year-old Tommy didn't intend to become famous at that point in time. In fact, he became world famous _completely_ unintentionally. It all started when Kimi's biological father, stepmother, and little three-year-old half-sister came over to visit. Kimi's dad and stepmom had purchased two brand new child-safety gates manufactured by Dr. Lipschitz's company to block the Finsters' upper and lower stairway. That way, their daughter wouldn't accidentally fall down the stairs. Unfortunately, the gate gave way when Kimi's little sister was leaning against the edge of the gateway at the top of the stairs, and she felt down the stairway and broke her arm in the process. Stu, who wanted to know what idiot placed a childproof label on a child's product that clearly wasn't safe, went over to take a look at the gates. He was baffled when he found out that the gates were made by Dr. Lipschitz's company, PlaySafe (which provided safe toys and equipment for children ages zero to six years of age).

Now, fortunately, Tommy and Dil knew Dr. Lipschitz through their mother's frequent visits with him (first as babies, then as toddlers). The boys eventually figured out Dr. Lipschitz was a quack who knew nothing about children (Tommy and Dil never said anything to their parents because they didn't want to hurt their feelings.), and figured the phony child psychologist probably didn't really care whether his products were safe for small kids. Once Tommy and Dil found out Dr. Lipschitz's company made the 'childproof' gates, they became furious because they knew that Dr. Lipschitz's careless acts were the reason Kimi's little sister fell down the stairs. They knew something needed to be done.

So, Tommy decided to create his first major internet documentary titled, _Childproofed_ on his MyTube account. In the documentary, Tommy recorded various pieces of evidence of unjust acts caused by _PlaySafe_. In the documentary, Tommy (with help of the rest of the _Rugrats_ kids and their families) contacted and filmed interviews of parents whose children had been injured (including Kimi's family), or even killed, due to Dr. Lipschitz's products. Research and phone calls to the company about questionable acts were made. One of these acts showed that many of the _PlaySafe_ products were not tested properly and/or weren't deemed safe for young children.

Once the documentary was finally uploaded a year and a half later, it quickly went viral. At age fifteen, Tommy was contacted by the MyTube company after Dr. Lipschitz's _PlaySafe_ companies were shut down. Tommy was asked if he wanted to create more documentaries for the site, as a paying job. After a long discussion it with Stu and Didi (in which they told Tommy he had to maintain his good grades on his schoolwork while filming), they happily agreed.

By age sixteen, Tommy Pickles continued to get As and Bs in school, and had over a million viewers on MyTube. By seventeen, Tommy created his second documentary on _Here Comes Reptar!: How a Controversial Show for Children Became a Worldwide Phenomenon_ , which also received many viewers. And by age eighteen, Tommy was accepted into the film school he always dreamed about. Of course throughout Tommy's wild journey, he always made time to be with his friends (even including them in some of the behind the scenes videos he frequently uploaded). All in all, I believe Tommy Pickles becomes very successful in what he always wanted to do, even though it didn't go exactly the way he planned.

So, what do you guys think? Do you think Tommy Pickles became the famous director he always wanted to become? Let me know in the comments!


	5. Chuckie's Fears

Chuckie's Fears

As most _Rugrats_ fans are aware, in the episode _Mothers Day_ , it is revealed Chuckie Finster's mother, Melinda Finster, had passed away from unknown causes (Most people speculate Chuckie's mom died from some sort of sickness, since his dad mentioned she had written a poem for Chuckie in the hospital before she passed away.). _Mothers Day_ was the _Rugrats_ episode that finally explained to the viewing audience why Chuckie's mother had never been seen in previous episodes, up to that point, in the show's timeline.

Toward the beginning of _Mothers Day_ , Chuckie explains to the other babies that he doesn't have a mom. When the other babies question him about it, Chuckie says he doesn't know why he doesn't have a mother, but he just knows he doesn't have one. Chuckie seems to be perfectly content with this. But, there are a few moments in _Rugrats_ and in _All Grown Up!_ that prove otherwise.

RUGRATS HEADCANONS/THEORIES 5: I believe Chuckie Finster is afraid of everything due to the loss of his birth mother at a young age. But, whether Chuckie is aware that his fears are caused by this tragedy is unclear.

One example that shows Chuckie's phobias were triggered due his mother's death is indirectly explained, in _Mothers Day._ At one point in the episode, Chuckie tells the babies he sometimes has dreams of having a mom (Specifically, the dreams are about Chuckie and his 'imaginary' mom in a garden with lots of flowers.) Chuckie even mentions that there is a butterfly that comes by in the dreams, and that he's not afraid of it. And why isn't he afraid of it? It's because his dream mom softly reassures him that butterflies aren't anything to fear. It's not until the end of the episode that we find out Chuckie's dreams are actually about some of his repressed memories of him and his mother that faded over time. This scene is important because it shows how big of an influence Melinda was on Chuckie. Before Chuckie's mom died, he had been comforted about things he would have otherwise been afraid of if his mother hadn't been there. When Melinda passed away, Chuckie became unsure of his fears. It's almost as if Chuckie is worried that his fears are actually something he should be afraid of since his mom is no longer there to protect him.

But, does Chuckie realize that his anxieties about almost everything are caused by the sudden passing of his mother? I think this becomes clearer in _All Grown Up!_ In _Rugrats_ , it's shown that Chuckie doesn't really remember much about his mother. As I explained earlier, in Chuckie's two-year-old mind, he rationalizes that some people are born with both parents, and some aren't, and he seems unbothered by this fact. Chuckie sounds like he's perfectly content not having a mom because he's not old enough to know much about life and death just yet. So, Chuckie probably doesn't realize his fears stem from this. But, in _All Grown Up!_ , that realization changes.

In the _All Grown Up!_ episode _Superhero Worship_ , we find out Chuckie is a huge fan of a comic book series called _Armadillo Dave_ (It's basically a kids' comic about a superhero Armadillo who's kind of clumsy, and usually saves the day by accident. That's really all you need to know about it.). But, unfortunately for Chuckie, he finds out _Armadillo Dave_ is going to be cancelled, and he becomes frantic. He becomes so extremely panicked about saving his beloved comic book superhero, that he blows off helping Tommy work on his science fair project, and they get into a huge argument. Later in the episode, Dil explains to an angry and frustrated Tommy why _Armadillo Dave_ is so important to Chuckie. Dil tells Tommy that maybe they're not supposed to understand Chuckie's obsession with _Armadillo Dave_ because Chuckie already knew what it was like to lose someone he cared about. And sure enough, Chuckie is later seen asking his dad how he felt when Melinda died. This episode of _All Grown Up!_ is so important because it shows Chuckie still misses his birth mom, and is saddened that he never got to know her. It also shows that because Chuckie lost his mom, his love of _Armadillo Dave_ helped to partially fill a void in his heart that could never be completely replaced. So, when Chuckie hears the announcement of _Armadillo Dave's_ cancellation, he's understandably crushed and fearful about what's going to happen once the comic is gone (And I won't spoil the ending of _Superhero Worship_ for those of you who haven't seen it and want to check it out. But, I can rest assure you, the episode ends on a positive note.).

In conclusion Chuckie's fears and phobias stem from losing his mother, Melinda Finster, when he was a baby. It's a tragedy that Chuckie probably will never completely get over. But of course, he has great group of friends and a supportive family, including an amazing stepmom and stepsister to look after him. So, Chuckie Finster will be just fine. :)

What do you think of this theory? Please let me know in the comments!


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